Grigsby 1

Iain Grigsby
Professor Semih Eser
EGEE 101H
3/6/2014
The Potential of Tidal Energy
Last year, fossil fuels accounted for just over eighty percent of the global energy supply, a
statistic which has remained fairly constant over the past two and a half decades [1]. Alarmingly, while
this proportion has stayed the same, the total energy consumed per annum has skyrocketed over the
same time span. In this way, with each passing year, the carbon dioxide released in the combustion of
fossil fuels is poisoning the earths atmosphere at an increasingly deadly rate. While wind, solar, bio-
energy, and other well-known renewables provide promising means of curbing this trend, there is still a
great deal of untapped potential on the shores of the planets oceans and lakes. Tidal energy,
depending only on the moon eternally traversing the sky overhead, has a unique set of desirable
attributes enabling it to become a key source of sustainable energy in the near future.
Tidal energy is the energy dissipated by tidal movements, which derives directly from the
gravitational and centrifugal forces between the earth, moon and sun [2]. As the moon orbits around
the earth, a bulge of water is formed on the side of the planet which faces it due to the attraction of
the spherical masses. On the side of the planet directly opposite this, the rotation of the earth-moon
system generates a centrifugal force which causes a similar bulge of water to form [3]. As the two
bodies revolve and the earths landmasses come into contact with the peak of one of the moving water
bulges, they are said to be at high-tide. In the same way, when at points perpendicular to the line
formed by the gravitational and centrifugal maxes, the water around the landmass is at low-tide.
Grigsby 2
Harnessing the potential energy from this difference in water height is the basic principle that drives all
tidal energy recovery devices.
While there are many novel methods aimed at harnessing ocean energy currently undergoing
research and development, the tried and trusted technique already at use in the real world is that of
tidal barrages. The barrages are built across a body of water that undergoes a significant height
differential between high and low tide. Electricity generation from tidal barrages employs many of the
same principles and processes as hydroelectric turbines. The key difference is that tidal currents flow in
both directions. Because of this, the turbines in tidal barrages are almost always bi-directional, meaning
they can generate power from water flow in more than one direction, most often through the use of
bulb, straflo, rim and tubular turbines [4]. During high-tide, a column of water builds up on one side of
the damn, creating large amounts of potential energy due to its raised height when compared to the
other side of the barrage. This energy potential is converted to power when the water flows downward
through the barrage spinning a turbine which generates electricity through its rotation. In the same
way, during low tide, a water column forms on the opposite side of the barrage and the same process
occurs to generate a second quantity of power.
While tidal barrage technology is well-understood and reliable, the high capital cost that comes
with the construction of such systems is a large barrier to its further development [3]. In the meantime,
alternative methods of energy extraction are receiving a great deal of research. Though leading ideas
vary in physical size and blade design, the most promising new devices capture energy through use of
tidal current turbines. Much like their land based wind turbine counterparts, these underwater devices
feature large diameter rotating blades mounted to a hub which self-orients itself into the prevailing
current. The hydrodynamic effect of the water moving over the carefully sculpted blades causes the
rotors to circulate, driving a gearbox and generator in the hub and ultimately transferring power in the
Grigsby 3
form of electricity through connected cables. Tidal current turbines experience much greater forces and
moments than wind turbines, and while this presents a noteworthy challenge to structural integrity, it
also means that the potential magnitude of power generation per turbine is significantly higher.
Compared to other renewable energy methods, tidal energy recovery has the unique advantage
of predictability. While wind, sun and other patterns vary appreciably from day to day and year to year,
the earth-moon system is sure to keep revolving and generating ocean tides for the foreseeable future.
At present tidal barrages are providing a viable means of ocean energy capture. On the not too distant
horizon, there are exciting plans for energy extraction through the use of sophisticated tidal current
turbines. With more research and testing, tidal energy shows substantial promise in becoming a
mainstay of the planets renewable energy future.


Grigsby 4
Works Cited
[1] "World Energy Outlook 2013." World Energy Outlook. International Energy Agency, n.d. Web. 4 Mar
2014.<http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/pressmedia/recentpresentations/LondonNovember
12.pdf>.
[2] Baker, Clive. "Tidal Power." Energy Policy. 19.8 (1991): 792-797. Web. 6 Mar. 2014.
[3] Rourke, Fergal, Fergal Boyle, and Anthony Reynolds. "Tidal Energy Update 2009." Applied Energy. 87.
(2010): 398-409. Print.
[4] Boyle, G. Renewable Energy Power for a Sustainable Future. 2. Berlin: Oxford University Press, 2004.
Print.